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Upstate New York’s Leading Law Firms Combine to Better Serve the Region’s Legal Needs and Greater Community

TROY – E. Stewart Jones, Jr., of the E. Stewart Jones Law Firm and Jim Hacker of Hacker Murphy, LLP, surrounded by partners and colleagues, announced today the merger of the two firms to become E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy, effective January 1, 2015.

“As the legal industry landscape has evolved, the need to diversify our firm’s practice areas and the services we offer to clients heightened,” said E. Stewart Jones. “My grandfather opened this firm right here in downtown Troy in 1898, and my father, brother and I all practiced law here. Ensuring the firm has a place in the legal community and continuing our commitment to Capital Region community as a whole is of the greatest importance to my family and I, and this merger will ensure we can do that for years to come. Our firm dedication to our existing clients will continued unabated, and will also be extended to those who we serve under this new structure.”

The law firm of E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy will concentrate on the areas of commercial litigation, property tax dispute, employment discrimination, eminent domain, criminal defense and personal injury law, bringing together the expertise of the Capital Region’s most respected and experienced attorneys. The firm will have locations in Troy, Saratoga (the current Jones firm locations) and Latham (the current Hacker Murphy locations).

“At Hacker Murphy, our commitment to our clients is equaled only by our commitment to our community,” said Jim Hacker. “I have worked on several cases with Stewart and I know that his personal and professional beliefs align perfectly with the culture at our firm. We both consider giving back to the community to be a goal on par with providing the highest caliber of service to our clients. By merging our firms, we are now able to provide services to clients that we individually could not have met previously, as well as continue to give back to the communities that support us. Together, we are stronger.”

Each firm has a history of trying some of the most prominent cases in the region’s history. Jim Hacker and E. Stewart Jones joined to represent the families of 20 individuals who perished following the sinking of the Ethan Allen on Lake George in 2005. This year, E. Stewart Jones successfully defended former New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a trial that resulted in a full acquittal. Currently, Hacker Murphy has a statewide litigation practice that includes the representation of a consortium of the town, county and school districts in connection with certain issues involving the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, one of the oldest nuclear power plants in the country.

About E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy: The merger of the E. Stewart Jones and Hacker Murphy law firms creates an entity with a combined 134-year track record of success in the Upstate New York legal community. With offices across the Greater Capital Region, the firm’s 14 attorneys offer unparalleled legal counsel in the areas of commercial litigation, property tax dispute, criminal defense and personal injury law.

The holiday season has taken over New York. That means multitudes of people taking to the roadways to visit family members or attend holiday festivities. All those cars on the roadway makes it vital for all drivers to ensure they are driving in a safe manner. Failing to drive in a safe manner can lead to accidents that might cause injury or death. In order to maximize the safety of New York roadways, there are state laws that must be followed.

One important point in New York law serves to keep children who are in cars safe. Children must be properly restrained while riding in a car. Younger children should have a child safety seat or booster seat. Older children should be restrained with a lap/shoulder seat belt. Failing to ensure all children are properly buckled in can lead to points being added to the driver’s license and up to a $100 fine. It can also mean the child might be thrown from a vehicle in an accident.

Since drivers need to have their full attention on the road, New York instituted a ban on texting while driving and handheld cellphone use while driving. This means that if you must make a call or text, you should find a safe place to pull over.

Since holiday parties usually involve alcohol, it is a perfect time to remind readers that sobriety checkpoints are permissible in New York. This means that people who drive drunk run the risk of being arrested because of a checkpoint.

Even if you are the safest driver in the world, you can’t control the actions of other drivers. If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. Doing so sends a message to the driver and helps to reduce the financial impact the accident has on you.Source: Governors Highway Safety Association, “New York” Dec. 16, 2014.

While many people in Albany might dream of a white Christmas, that often means a hassle for property owners. In Albany, like in many other cities across the country, property owners are responsible for keeping sidewalks and common areas free of ice and snow.

As the snow begins to fall, it is important for anyone who owns property to understand how he or she must handle sidewalks. Not only does this ensure they comply with the rules of the city, it also ensures that nobody walking past gets hurt by falling on a slick surface. If a pedestrian falls on a slick sidewalk, he or she might decide to seek compensation from the property owner for that injury.

In the city, property owners and residents have 24 hours from the end of a snowstorm to clear the sidewalks of the snow and ice. When property owners and residents are doing this, they must ensure that the snow and ice isn’t shoveled onto the city streets or crosswalks.

When property owners and residents don’t clear the sidewalks, the city can step in to remove the snow and ice. This means that the property owner might be charged a fine each time the city has to do the job.

While it may seem harsh to force people to get out and remove snow and ice from sidewalks, it is one of the only ways to protect pedestrians from getting hurt. When a pedestrian slips on ice or snow, serious injuries can occur. In those cases, the person who was injured might decide to take legal action against the property owner to help defray the costs of necessary medical treatment after the injury.Source: Albany.com, “Albany Snow Removal Plan” Nov. 30, 2014

For the second year, the E. Stewart Jones Law Firm will be participating in “The Trial Before Christmas”. Last year the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

E. Stewart Jones (’66) will be joined by fellow Albany Law school alum Jack Casey ’87, Molly Casey ’12 and Judge Edward O. Spain ’66 in the mock retrial to determine the true author of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”. The retrial will be this Sunday during the Troy Victorian Stroll.

Last year, the courtroom was at capacity so please arrive early! Admission for the trial is free and open to the public on a first-come basis. Stop by the John T. Casey Courtroom on Sunday, December 7 at 2 p.m. to help solve the mystery of who wrote “Twas the night before Christmas.”

Last night, we honored the 2014 E. Stewart Jones Home Run Community Heroes. We wanted to send a special thank you to the Tri-City ValleyCats for allowing us to sponsor the Community Heroes Night again this year. We were so pleased to honor these special individuals down on the third base line, showing support for their hard work in helping our community a safe place to live.

The E. Stewart Jones Law Firm is excited to again partner with the Tri-City ValleyCats to recognize nine Capital Region individuals from all walks of life who have gone above and beyond in their communities. We are encouraging nominations from military personnel, law enforcement, fire fighters, police, EMS, non-profit organizations, teachers, volunteers, and children; all making the Capital Region a better place to live, work and play.

Those selected will be honored on the field right before the ValleyCats’ July 31 game vs. Cleveland Indians affiliate, Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Community Hero honorees and their family will then receive luxury suite tickets to that night’s game as a guest of the E. Stewart Jones Law Firm. The ValleyCats will be accepting nominations through Friday, July 11, 2014.

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